Loved reading this post, I’ve always wondered what this experience is like for writers, and frankly, if I could hack it. No pun intended, and I’m not sure I could. I like the idea of a serendipitous meeting really being the point of it all.
Your writing sounds right up my alley so I’ll be grabbing some after hitting post here. Anyway, thanks again from another New Englander (NH)!
Bill, welcome! And thank you for subscribing. And thank you again for grabbing some of my books.
I remember learning the word 'serendipity' when I was in high school, around tenth grade, age 14 or so. I have a vague memory — or perhaps I'm just imagining it — of explaining the meaning of that word to my father as we sat on a bus in a morning traffic jam on our way into NYC — he on his way to his office in midtown; I on my way to school on 16th street. Ever since I learned that word it's been a guiding concept, and I you'll find many accounts of serendipitous encounters here in Sundman figures it out!
I hope you'll enjoy reading about them and that you'll continue to leave comments. As Rick Blaine said to Captain Renault, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
What a rush! I'm not sure if I should get on the con trail now, or forsake it. But I get it. Before this last trip to the US where I incurred the biggest negative gain in my life, I never realized what an undertaking it must be to attend a con as a seller. And there are people who crisscross the country on a monthly basis to do this kind of thing during the "season." Yours is a brave journey, John. Just incredible. I'm not sure I want to read Friedman's tale. How the hell does one navigate this landscape? Is it too much to ask to be able to sell a novel or two for a profit?
Thanks for the mention (once again). I'll bump you from this side soon. I need a good SamuraiFriends post to send the year out.
The post I wrote on Jane Friedman's site is a simply a distillation of some wisdom I've accrued from 23 years of doing this. There's nothing too harrowing in that post. The 'not for the faint of heart' post is "The Saga of Acts of the Apostles," which tells how I wrote that book in a kind of frenzy, during a period when I was in an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, and then took myself on a cross-country road trip to introduce it to the world. You can find it in my archives if you decide to read it. When I sent that post out last month I put a paywall in it as an experiment, but I'm going to go take that paywall down as soon as I finish writing this note. I'm still playing around with how to get more paying subscribers to Sundman figures it out!, but I think my more important challenge is to get more subscribers, period, and having a paywall definitely does not help with that.
You have done as much as anyone to help spread the word about Sundman figures it out! I am grateful for your help, and I look forward to collaborating in the future, as we've been discussing.
Meanwhile thank you in advance for any additional awareness you can bring to this 'Traveling' post. I expect that there are many people on this planet who consider themselves hackers and would love to attend Defcon but are not able to do so, for whatever reason. I think some of them might enjoy this post.
Sometime in the recent future I'll write a new post about when I went back to Defcon in 2016 -- and gave a talk in the 'Biohacking Village'. That was a trip.
I’ve never been to DEFCON, let alone Las Vegas. But, it’s in my bucket list for visiting the USA next year or 2025, god
willing.
Thank you for the book present, Biodigital, when I signed up!
I loved reading your essay above. It really moved me, brought up all kinds of emotions. Self published writers’ life is a very hard working job. There were times, whilst reading, a knot would form in my throat, my heart would break the hours and hours you spend standing behind your table, trying to attract a decent public to sell your books..admirable.
The indie books world is relatively new for me, when I bought my first tablet, a 3rd generation iPad back in 2011. That’s when I discovered a whole new, wonderful, beautiful and astounding world of indie authors! I was enthusiastic! It was very hard to get English version paperbacks in Spain back in those days, especially the SciFi, Fantasy and all their subgenres. And indie authors books? Nada. Since then 98% of the books I read are by indie authors. I realised that they have nothing, to envy the bestselling authors. Nothing at all. I found many were way more better than the successful writers out there.
Then I made another discovery: KU (Kindle Unlimited). And the rest is history.
Your book, I don’t remember the exact title now, it’s something like ..Apostles? I have it in my WTR(Want To Read) and WTP (Want To Purchase) list. My monthly book budget has been sadly lowered since 2015, when I had to quit my job because of my spinal cord intervertebral discs degeneration, with a major lower back and sacro surgery, another imminent surgery mid of next year in my middle back area(waist).
I remove my hat, take a respectful bow. Chapeau. Bravissimo. I wish you all the best. Take care. 🧡
Let me start my reply by saying that I am sorry to hear of your medical worries, and I wish you much relief when from your upcoming surgeries. I know that they work for many people. They work for an overwhelming majority of people, in fact. But they have not worked for my wife, who still has chronic pain. (And her broken hip —which she got when our lovely dog 'Spot' knocked her over, as I described here: https://open.substack.com/pub/johnsundman/p/easy-was — didn't help.) So I speak as a caregiver to somebody who has a condition similar to yours, and thus I speak with deep sympathy.
Second, my first novel is called Acts of the Apostles. Biodigital is the result of a year-long re-write and re-imagining of Acts of the Apostles, for reasons I won't go into here. I have written about that whole story in earlier Sundman figures it out! posts, and I will be happy to provide pointers to them if you like.
Third, and most excitingly, I hope, I am delighted to tell you that Spanish language editions of all my books are in process and should be available for both free download, and for purchase, early in 2024. The translations were done by one of your countrymen (who lives in Alicante), and I plan and hope to make them widely available in Spain (end eventually throughout the Spanish-speaking world) — both as ebook and in print. I would very much like to have you as a Beta reader/proofreader of as many of these books as may interest you, starting with Biodigital. If you would like to do this please send me a note at jsundmanus on gmail .
In conclusion, I was touched by your sympathetic concern about my long hours of work 'hand selling' my books. Thank you. But that work has paid for itself many times over. It has opened so many doors for me, and given me so many interesting experiences, and introduced me to so many interesting people, like you, whom I now consider friends.
Loved reading this post, I’ve always wondered what this experience is like for writers, and frankly, if I could hack it. No pun intended, and I’m not sure I could. I like the idea of a serendipitous meeting really being the point of it all.
Your writing sounds right up my alley so I’ll be grabbing some after hitting post here. Anyway, thanks again from another New Englander (NH)!
Bill, welcome! And thank you for subscribing. And thank you again for grabbing some of my books.
I remember learning the word 'serendipity' when I was in high school, around tenth grade, age 14 or so. I have a vague memory — or perhaps I'm just imagining it — of explaining the meaning of that word to my father as we sat on a bus in a morning traffic jam on our way into NYC — he on his way to his office in midtown; I on my way to school on 16th street. Ever since I learned that word it's been a guiding concept, and I you'll find many accounts of serendipitous encounters here in Sundman figures it out!
I hope you'll enjoy reading about them and that you'll continue to leave comments. As Rick Blaine said to Captain Renault, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
What a rush! I'm not sure if I should get on the con trail now, or forsake it. But I get it. Before this last trip to the US where I incurred the biggest negative gain in my life, I never realized what an undertaking it must be to attend a con as a seller. And there are people who crisscross the country on a monthly basis to do this kind of thing during the "season." Yours is a brave journey, John. Just incredible. I'm not sure I want to read Friedman's tale. How the hell does one navigate this landscape? Is it too much to ask to be able to sell a novel or two for a profit?
Thanks for the mention (once again). I'll bump you from this side soon. I need a good SamuraiFriends post to send the year out.
Thank you, Samurai.
The post I wrote on Jane Friedman's site is a simply a distillation of some wisdom I've accrued from 23 years of doing this. There's nothing too harrowing in that post. The 'not for the faint of heart' post is "The Saga of Acts of the Apostles," which tells how I wrote that book in a kind of frenzy, during a period when I was in an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, and then took myself on a cross-country road trip to introduce it to the world. You can find it in my archives if you decide to read it. When I sent that post out last month I put a paywall in it as an experiment, but I'm going to go take that paywall down as soon as I finish writing this note. I'm still playing around with how to get more paying subscribers to Sundman figures it out!, but I think my more important challenge is to get more subscribers, period, and having a paywall definitely does not help with that.
Pleasure, man. I. AM. HERE. TO. LEARN.
Paywalls. To each their own. I harbor no ill will. If I were a rich man, I know where my money would go! Toward the future, dear Sundman!
You have done as much as anyone to help spread the word about Sundman figures it out! I am grateful for your help, and I look forward to collaborating in the future, as we've been discussing.
Meanwhile thank you in advance for any additional awareness you can bring to this 'Traveling' post. I expect that there are many people on this planet who consider themselves hackers and would love to attend Defcon but are not able to do so, for whatever reason. I think some of them might enjoy this post.
Sometime in the recent future I'll write a new post about when I went back to Defcon in 2016 -- and gave a talk in the 'Biohacking Village'. That was a trip.
Everyone deserves to hear their voice heard. In this world, it's pretty hard despite the fact that we are all connected. Funny how that works.
Take it to the top! Love to hear more about your Defcon adventures!
Hi John!
I’ve never been to DEFCON, let alone Las Vegas. But, it’s in my bucket list for visiting the USA next year or 2025, god
willing.
Thank you for the book present, Biodigital, when I signed up!
I loved reading your essay above. It really moved me, brought up all kinds of emotions. Self published writers’ life is a very hard working job. There were times, whilst reading, a knot would form in my throat, my heart would break the hours and hours you spend standing behind your table, trying to attract a decent public to sell your books..admirable.
The indie books world is relatively new for me, when I bought my first tablet, a 3rd generation iPad back in 2011. That’s when I discovered a whole new, wonderful, beautiful and astounding world of indie authors! I was enthusiastic! It was very hard to get English version paperbacks in Spain back in those days, especially the SciFi, Fantasy and all their subgenres. And indie authors books? Nada. Since then 98% of the books I read are by indie authors. I realised that they have nothing, to envy the bestselling authors. Nothing at all. I found many were way more better than the successful writers out there.
Then I made another discovery: KU (Kindle Unlimited). And the rest is history.
Your book, I don’t remember the exact title now, it’s something like ..Apostles? I have it in my WTR(Want To Read) and WTP (Want To Purchase) list. My monthly book budget has been sadly lowered since 2015, when I had to quit my job because of my spinal cord intervertebral discs degeneration, with a major lower back and sacro surgery, another imminent surgery mid of next year in my middle back area(waist).
I remove my hat, take a respectful bow. Chapeau. Bravissimo. I wish you all the best. Take care. 🧡
Meenaz,
Thank you for this truly wonderful note.
Let me start my reply by saying that I am sorry to hear of your medical worries, and I wish you much relief when from your upcoming surgeries. I know that they work for many people. They work for an overwhelming majority of people, in fact. But they have not worked for my wife, who still has chronic pain. (And her broken hip —which she got when our lovely dog 'Spot' knocked her over, as I described here: https://open.substack.com/pub/johnsundman/p/easy-was — didn't help.) So I speak as a caregiver to somebody who has a condition similar to yours, and thus I speak with deep sympathy.
Second, my first novel is called Acts of the Apostles. Biodigital is the result of a year-long re-write and re-imagining of Acts of the Apostles, for reasons I won't go into here. I have written about that whole story in earlier Sundman figures it out! posts, and I will be happy to provide pointers to them if you like.
Third, and most excitingly, I hope, I am delighted to tell you that Spanish language editions of all my books are in process and should be available for both free download, and for purchase, early in 2024. The translations were done by one of your countrymen (who lives in Alicante), and I plan and hope to make them widely available in Spain (end eventually throughout the Spanish-speaking world) — both as ebook and in print. I would very much like to have you as a Beta reader/proofreader of as many of these books as may interest you, starting with Biodigital. If you would like to do this please send me a note at jsundmanus on gmail .
In conclusion, I was touched by your sympathetic concern about my long hours of work 'hand selling' my books. Thank you. But that work has paid for itself many times over. It has opened so many doors for me, and given me so many interesting experiences, and introduced me to so many interesting people, like you, whom I now consider friends.
Kind regards,
jrs